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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22793464">Always Overlooked</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowQueenOfMyHeart/pseuds/SnowQueenOfMyHeart'>SnowQueenOfMyHeart</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Nightmares, Rejection, Season/Series 03 Spoilers, Sorry Not Sorry, Still kinda bitter about certain things happening recently</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 18:00:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,056</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22793464</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowQueenOfMyHeart/pseuds/SnowQueenOfMyHeart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Cassandra has a nightmare about certain things happening in Corona. A crackfic containing major spoilers for RTA Season 3.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Always Overlooked</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cassandra blinked. It was sunny and she was in... Corona?</p>
<p>Looking down, she realized she was in a guard uniform. No sign of the moonstone anywhere, no traces of black rocks. As if they never happened.</p>
<p>"Stop! Thief!"</p>
<p>She snapped her head around to see a thief running through town with a bag of loot. Not on her watch.</p>
<p>Tearing after him, Cassandra smiled as she closed the distance. This bozo had messed with the wrong guard. But as she got within several feet of him, she felt something else rush by and to her complete shock, Eugene outran her and tackled the thief to the ground. As she came to a halt to process what just happened, Cassandra noticed that the thief for some reason looked exactly like Eugene - except it was more Flynn Rider with a mustache. And he had stolen the princess' crown.</p>
<p>The next thing she knew, a crowd had appeared and was cheering Eugene on, carrying him back like a hero. Cassandra gaped at the spectacle as though she were seeing fairies for the first time.</p>
<p>Then she heard Rapunzel's voice. "Oh, Eugene! You are so brave and strong! I don't know what I would do without you!"</p>
<p>Something about those words stung deep in Cassandra's heart. She ground her teeth and clenched her fists, stalking over to give a piece of her mind. But then the scene changed again, and suddenly she was standing off to the side of the Great Hall with the King and Queen overseeing what looked like a ceremony.</p>
<p>And her father was there.</p>
<p>"Dad!" She cried out but he seemed not to hear her. Instead, the Captain's attention was entirely on Eugene, now standing before them in a crisp outfit.</p>
<p>"Well, Fitzherbert, I'm very impressed with all the criminals you've managed to apprehend since your return to Corona. You have clearly proven your worth. I'm proud to call you 'son'."</p>
<p><em>Son?!</em> Cassandra froze, her eyes and mouth wide, wishing her ears were deceiving her. <em>This can't be happening... please tell me this is not real...</em></p>
<p>But the Captain - her father - continued: "As a show of my appreciation for your efforts and service to the kingdom, I'm stepping down as Captain and naming you as my successor. You'll be getting a new uniform, along with all the perks of a Captain of the Guard. You can have Cassandra's weapons collection, Cassandra's owl, and even her room if you wish."</p>
<p>And then Rapunzel appeared by Eugene's side. "Oh, he won't be needing that old room. He can stay with me since we'll be married soon! I'm so thrilled to have the love of my life as a man in uniform!"</p>
<p>"Then it's settled," Frederic announced. "Eugene will take up his position as Captain of the Guard at once."</p>
<p>"Congratulations, Eugene," Arianna spoke up. "I'm sure you will make us all proud."</p>
<p>Cassandra's mind was spinning. She found it impossible to breathe. Her dream - the one thing she had sought after all these years - was being given away? To Eugene Fitzherbert?! What had he possibly done to deserve the uniform when he had spent most of his life fighting against it? And why did it bother her so much when she had burned her bridges in the last few months?</p>
<p>Except she wasn't in possession of the moonstone at the moment. She tried to summon the black rocks, hoping it would put an end to this absurdity, but nothing happened. When she looked at her hands, she realized she was in a handmaiden's outfit. And that her surroundings had changed again. She now stood in the corridor with a small bag that she noticed had some of her keepsakes. They looked so pathetic, like someone had discarded them unceremoniously. She grabbed her bag and started running to find some clue as to why this was happening.</p>
<p>"Whatever happened to that girl, Cassandra?" Pete's voice echoed down the hall. Cassandra stopped and watched Stan and Pete go by. She tried to shout but her voice did not work.</p>
<p>"I don't know, she probably just went back to living in the woods and eating rocks or something," Stan replied as they kept walking.</p>
<p>Dread washed over Cassandra. She was not seen, and she was not remembered. Or no one wanted to remember her.</p>
<p>Spinning around as the scene changed yet again, she found herself suddenly outside the castle gates at night. Frantically, she pounded against the gates screaming to be let in. For some explanation that could possibly make sense.</p>
<p>And then she heard it. A laugh that was instantly recognizable save for its tone. It was... mocking? No, it was worse. Much worse.</p>
<p>Cassandra looked up and saw Rapunzel smirking from atop the gate, shaking her head disapprovingly.</p>
<p>"Worst. Friend. <em>Ever.</em>"</p>
<p>It cut like a knife straight to her heart, or at least it should have. Cassandra felt tears well up in her eyes as her once best friend turned and walked away, the sound of laughter filling her ears as the world turned black and she was falling, falling, falling...</p>
<p>Always overlooked...</p>
<p>Never wanted...</p>
<p>Never enough...</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>She awoke with a scream, and the first sensation she felt was how dry her throat was from the sounds she must have made in her sleep. Just a nightmare. The moonstone pulsed against her chest, sensing her distress. Eyes coming into focus, she took in her surroundings, the jagged black rocks of her fortress visible under the light of the moon.</p>
<p>Running a hand over her face, she felt dampness on her cheeks. She brushed vigorously to remove the offending tears, then stopped when she recalled the look in her father's eyes as he handed the title of Captain of the Guard to Eugene. How he called him 'son' as if it was the most natural thing. The tears came back, and soon Cassandra was sobbing on the hard rock bed she had made for herself, her sobs echoing in the cavernous space of her stronghold.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>... and when she returned to Corona some time later to make amends, Cassandra screamed and ran at the sight of Eugene in a Captain's uniform, tearing down the halls as her eyes became watery with Rapunzel racing after her shouting apologies and begging for her to come back while Eugene merely looked on in confusion.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Someone on Tumblr suggested that Captain was now like a father figure to Eugene after the 'Flynnposter' episode, and so I got this idea for what Cassandra's hypothetical reaction would be. Had to make it somewhat funny because the notion of Cassandra being rejected by her adoptive father in favor of an ex-thief - and said man getting the position she craved for years - honestly makes me mad. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this nonsense.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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